Sunday Snippet: Questionable Vision

Washing machineupdate. The new washer got here and I'm happy to say the mountain of clothes isnow a manageable pile. It's amazing!

Coffeemaker update.The new one arrived and it's a combo single cup or full pot. I love it. Here'shoping my caffeine habit doesn't trash this one in under a year.

Another crazy-busywork week. I finished up the mystery and the romance copy edits and started acozy mystery. Also continued with novella edits. Had a couple of calls abouttwo or three new projects. I'm excited! I also managed to get some good writingin for myself. A good week!

I didn't get muchof anything watched on my viewing schedule. I did a LOT of social mediascrolling, especially after Biden stepped aside and endorsed Kamala Harris forthe democratic nomination. That's unexpected and exciting. Also spent a lot oftime shaking my head over the GOP nomination for vice president. It's going tobe an interesting couple of months.

And that's prettymuch it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from QuestionableVision, a novella with a bit of a dark premise.

Here's theminiblurb:

Park Danielson doesn't want to fight anymore. Stuck in awarzone, he has one burning question. Whybother sticking around? Darby Young has the answer. He's not allowed toleave.

And a sneaky peek…

Darby stopped breathing for amoment. "What do you mean … you didn't want to come back?" Shecouldn't have heard his words right.The very concept of Park opting outhit her hard. They had so much left to do. So much left to explore. But first,they had to get the hell out of their own way.Something neither she nor Park hadbeen able to do. Yet. They always seemed to end up on opposite ends of thespectrum and had to build bridges to meet in the middle. If Park stoppedmeeting her halfway, her world might just crumble.His gaze slid sideways. "Itmeans what you think it does." He moved his eyes straight ahead again … tostare at the top of the bunk.Darby got up. She needed to move,to think, to digest. "Wow." She paced back and forth. "I have noidea what to say to that." Her head couldn't process the idea of ParkDanielson not being in her life anymore. By choice.She whirled around. "Actually,I do. What. The hell. Park?" She paced again. "You're serious, aren'tyou?" She shook with reaction.Wanted to shake him for causing herworld to tilt on its axis.Universe be damned.She punched back with words."Did you think about what losing you would do to me?" She hadn't …until now.And she'd be lost without him.Thoughts cascaded in her mind."What about your dad? You're all he has left." Did Park not realizehow much he meant to his old man?Park's lips twisted in a grimace."And that matters how? He all but ordered us on a suicide mission. Youknow damn well the odds were slim we'd make it off that ship alive."Darby winced because Park could beright about what their chances might have been … but the op fell apart so…She started pacing again."Okay, point made. But remember why he chose us. We're the only twopeople—"Park cut in. "He fully trusts.Yeah, doesn't help." He sighed. "I'm tired of everything beingtwisted and bent. Up is down. Forward is back. And everything spins around likea whirling dervish. Why, Darb? What's the purpose? The end goal? Is thereone?" His voice rasped harshly with each question.Darby paused, a lightbulb momentwashing over her. "I honestly don't know. You're putting voice toquestions no one wants to ask … because the answers aren't easy." Sheresumed walking back and forth. "And they change on a daily basis. So … wedo the best we can with what we have, which is shit on a good day and somethingindescribable on a bad one." She tried to imagine what Park had gonethrough in what he thought were his last moments. "You're out of syncright now and I don't think anyone would blame you."But … what could she do to get himback on track?

This started out asa bit of an experiment to see if I could write a something that started outdark and give light and hope by the end … and keep it under ten thousand words.

We'll see if I pullit off.

 

That's it for thisweek. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye